Date: 9/5/2019 11:32:15 AM

"FLORIDA'S SOLITARY CONFINEMENT"
By Ronald W. Clark Jr. The Florida Department of Corrections is well known for the overuse of solitary confinement. Where inmates are housed in deplorable conditions of isolation, for up to 24 hours a day without
any type of break from this mentally corrosive cage that inmates are warehoused in for decades.
Most states, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons only allow for 23 hours a day lockdown. But the state of Florida, hasn't recognized the mental and physical harm that these cages have on the human mind and body. These cages tear men and women down mentally and physically as a result of continuous daily isolation.
See 33- FAC ( Florida Administrative Codes) is the governing rule that dictates this long term isolation, so let me show you the facts behind this, and not some hear say fiction, See 33-602.222 Administrative Confinement section (5) (p)" Exercise-those inmates confined on a 24-hour basis excluding showers and clinic trips may exercise in their cell. However, if confinement extends beyond a 30 day period, an exercise schedule shall be implemented to ensure a minimum of three hours a week of exercise out of doors."
This verifies what I'm saying and this three hour rec period, is given in one three hour yard a week. Which leaves the inmate confined for six straight days before his next rec. And remember that's after 30 days straight of solitary confinement/isolation!!! Let's look at the other supporting rules.
See 33-602.221 Protective Management under section (4).(p) Exercise, which also only guarantees three hours a week of outdoor rec. So again inmates who are forced to endure 24 hours a day of six straight days of solitary confinement.
See 33-602.222 Disciplinary confinement also located under section (4), (p) Exercise 1. Those inmates confined on a twenty-four hour basis, excluding showers and clinic trips may exercise in their cell. However, if confinement extends beyond a 30 day period, an exercise schedule shall be implemented to ensure a minimum of three hours a week of exercise out of doors. Such exercise periods shall be documented on Form DC6-229.
See 33-601.800 Close Management Under section (10) (m) Exercise- Those inmates confined on a 24-hour basis excluding showers and clinic trips may exercise in their cell. If the inmate requests a physical fitness program handout, the wellness specialist or the close management officer shall provide the inmate with an in-cell exercise guide and document such on the Daily Record of Special Housing Form DC6-229. However, an exercise schedule shall be implemented to ensure a minimum of six hours per week (two hour three days per week) of exercise out of doors. The assignment and participation of an inmate on the restricted labor squad or other outside work squad required to work outside at least one day per week will satisfy the minimum exercise requirements for the week." So here we see an allowance for three recs a week. But if the inmate is put to work one day a week, then it cancels rec out, and leaves the inmate confined to endure 24 hours a day of solitary confinement for six straight days.
Let's now view 33-601.820 Maximum Management, section (5),(c)"Out-of-doors recreation-limited to two hours once every 30 days for the first 60 days and two hours twice every thirty days thereafter or until the inmates exercise privileges have been reinstated pursuant to subsection (7)"
Now subsection (7) 2. "After nine months on maximum management and with the approval of the ICT, the following privileges shall be reinstated: a. Recreation privileges up to two-hour sessions per week."
So here you have long term isolation, where recreation is far and few between. And inmates are psychologically tortured in long term solitary confinement as documented here within their own rules.
See 33-601.830 sections (7), (J) Exercise- An exercise schedule shall be implemented to ensure a minimum of six hours per week of exercise out-of-doors. Such exercise periods shall be documented on Form DC6-229, Daily Record of Special Housing." Now these six hours are jammed into two three hour rec periods. And both periods could be given within two days leaving the inmates confined five and six days straight.
So what we've got here is inhumane conditions, and long term psychological torture by denying inmates of daily out of cell time. So it should be no surprise that out of the 80 inmates that committed suicide between January 2013 and August 2018 72 of those inmates were either currently in solitary confinement, or had been messed up by the FDOC'S use of it. Which is why we need a corrections bill, that ensures inmates are receiving daily out of cell time, to ensure their mental and physical wellbeing is cared for. Please share this information with others, and see if you can get this essay in the hands of your local senators and house representatives. Please take care and God bless all who are advocating for this type of change.
Sincerely Ronald W. Clark Jr. #812974
September 5, 2019